'I'm all in favour of death': Ian McKellen on Corbyn, the fight for gay rights and his one-man show

Through snatched mouthfuls of tomato soup in an office at the back of Finsbury Park’s Park Theatre, Ian McKellen is explaining why Hollywood actors feel they can’t come out of the closet. “It’s the same reason no Premier League footballer is out yet: because they’re worried about their fans’ reaction,” insists the 78-year-old star of The Lord of the Rings.

“And it’s the same for the Cardinal who can’t come out because he’s gay, or the teacher who thinks he’ll lose all his authority if people know he’s gay.” Stretching out his legs – his bootlaces rainbow-coloured, like the ribbon on his straw boater – McKellen stares into the middle-distance and sighs. It’s a sigh that’s filled with a lifetime’s...